Denture bath



June 4, 1968 LE|FMAN ET AL DENTURE BATH Filed Jan.

a M b 2 m 6 E W i R mwo mm? A M J m ny ME o v W F 0 v V w v 1/3 I// l/w/2 A 5 i a y y H 1 9 31 E M H H y I H H H H I n United States Patent3,386,706 DENTURE BATH Harvey Leifman, Miami Beach, and Seymour 1).Robinson, North Miami Beach, Fla., assignors to Prosonic Industries,Inc, Miami, Fla, a corporation of Florida Filed Jan. 5, 1967, Ser. No.607,494 2 Claims. (Cl. 259-72) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Denturecleaning apparatus having two side by side compartments with aseparating partition, one containing liquid and a curved end wall andthe other containing vibratory means, which arrangement generatesmechanic-al shock waves through the liquid and through the side wallsand bottom of the second compartment, whereby denture plates placed inthe liquid compartment are cleaned.

This invention relates to denture cleaning apparatus and moreparticularly to cleaning apparatus utilizing sonic energization of aliquid medium.

Heretofore, attempts have been made to define various vibratory methodsfor cleaning dentures and the like to provide mechanized means insubstitution for manual cleaning methods. However, not only have theprior devices involved relatively complicated apparatus, but in additionthe reliability of operation, required maintenance and unsatisfactoryresults have resulted in poor consumer response thereto.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple,reliable and highly eflective denture cleaning device which istrouble-free and having novel sonic transmission properties.

Briefly, apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention in one embodiment comprises an elongated housinghaving a bottom, side walls and an intermediate transverse partitionwhich separates the interior of the housing into first and secondliquid-tight, side-by-side compartments. The first compartment has a topmember thereover enclosing the same and a removable bottom portion. Thebottom and side wall of the second compartment are curved at the endthereof to define a generally semi-circular end section of thecompartment. The second compartment has a removable top member and isadapted to hold cleaning liquid and denture plates therein.

The first compartment contains electromechanical vibratory meansdisposed therein on the aforementioned removable bottom portion. Thevibratory means is disposed at a spaced position from the partition andtransmits sonic vibrations against the partition by compressive airwaves and transmit sonic vibrations by mechanical means through saidside wall and bottom into the second liquidcontaining compartment todirect successive out-of-phase mechanical shock waves through the liquidinto the second compartment in a plurality of directions includingsubstantial components upwardly from said bottom and inwardly from saidside walls toward the center of the radius of curvature thereof and withsubstantial reflected components from said partition.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent in thefollowing description and claims and in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the apparatus with the cover of theliquid-containing compartment removed;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken along line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

3,386,706 Patented June 4, 1%68 Referring now to the drawings, thedenture bath is referred to generally by reference numeral 10 and iscomprised of a bottom 11, upstanding side Wall 12, and transversepartition 13 dividing the interior 14 of housing 10 into first andsecond compartments 15, 16, respectively.

Compartment 15 has a top or cover portion 17 preferably integrallyformed with the housing 10 and similarly, compartment 16 has a bottomportion 18 integrally formed with the side walls 12 and partition 13 ina similar manner. Preferably, although not necessarily, the entirehousing, including cover portions, may be molded of any suitable durableplastic material.

Compartment 16 has a removable top member or cover 19 and bottom portion20 of compartment 15 is separately formed and may be removed for accessto the interior as will be hereinafter described.

End section 21 of compartment 16 is: semi-circular in plan view as shownin FIG. 3 and has the side wall '12 similarly curved and saidcompartment 16 is adapted to hold denture cleaning liquid 22 and dentureplates 23 as shown in FIG. 2. Removable cover 19 is appropriately formedat its edges (not shown) for being removable, yet when put in place,capable of remaining in place over the compartment when the apparatus isin use.

Affixed to bottom 20 in compartment 15 is electromechanical means 24 forsupplying sonic vibrations to the liquid-containing compartment 16. Themechanics of apparatus 24 is conventional including the coil member 25being wound upon metallic core 26 and being supplied alternating currentthrough lead 27. Metallic U-shaped frame 28 carries core 25 intermediateof its sides 29, 30. Vibratory member 31 is mounted by flexible arcuatemember 32 to side of frame 28 by means of screws 33. The entirevibratory means 24 is anchored by conventional means such as screwmembers 34 to bottom 20 of compartment 15. Switch means 35, includingactuating button 36 extending externally of partition 12, is providedfor turning the electrical power on and off.

In operation, the cleaning liquid 22 and denture plates 23 are placed incompartment 16 and cover 19 firmly placed thereover. The electrical plug37 is inserted into electrical outlet means (not shown) and switchmember 36 moved to the on position thereby causing vibratory means 24 tooperate. Vibratory member 31 is caused to move back and forth in thedirection of arrow A (FIG. 3) and the movement of member 31 is limitedso that it does not come into physical contact with partition 13, buttransmits vibrations thereto by compressive air waves. In addition, thevibrations of the apparatus 24 convey through bot-tom 11 vibratorymotion into compartment 16 to cause successive waves to be generated inliquid 22 to provide cleaning action against dentures 23. The vi--brations through bottom 11 are transferred to side walls 12 ofliquid-containing compartment 16 and the side walls 12 act as atime-delay mechanism relative to the vibrations transmitted throughpartition 13. All vibrations in the liquid 22 converge at the center ofcurvature at different time intervals so that by means of out-of-stepvibrations, the motion of the generated shock waves becomes diffusedthroughout the liquid and the dentures 23 are swept by a succession ofpulses at different points and at different angles. Thus, there areprovided compressive and de-compressive waves in the confined area and acriss-cross of successive waves is set up by the vibrations transmittedthrough bottom 11 and those set up through partition 13. In theabove-described fashion vibrations are generated to pass through theliquid 22 at varying speeds.

Thus, novel means are provided giving exceptional cleaning results, farsuperior to those provided by any devicein the prior art. While oneembodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it isto be understood that certain changes and additions may be made by thoseskilled in the art, without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. Denture cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated housing includinga bottom, sidewalls and a transverse partition separating the interiorof the housing into first and second liquid tight side-by-sidecompartments, said first compartment having a top member enclosing thesame and a removable bottom portion, the bottom and sidewall of saidsecond compartment being curved to define a generally semi-circular endsection thereof, a removable top member in said second compartment, saidsecond compartment being adapted to hold cleaning liquid and a pair ofdenture plates, electromechanical vibratory means disposed within saidfirst compartment and at a spaced position from said partition fortransmitting sonic vibrations by compressive air waves against saidpartition and by mechanical means through said sidewalls and bottom intosaid second compartment to direct mechanical shock Waves through theliquid in said second compartment in a plurality of directions includingsubstantial components upwardly from said bottom and inwardly from saidsidewalls toward the center of the radius of curvature thereof.

2. Denture cleaning apparatus comprising an elongated housing includinga bottom, sidewalls and a transverse 4 partition separating the interiorof the housing into first and second liquid tight side-by-sidecompartments, said first compartment having a top member enclosing thesame and a removable bottom portion, the bottomand sidewall of saidsecond compartment being curved to define a generally semi-circular endsection thereof, a removable top member in said second compartment, saidsecond compartment being adapted to hold cleaning liquid and a pair ofdenture plates, electromechanical vibratory means disposed within saidfirst compartment on said removable bottom portion and at a spacedposition from said partition for transmitting sonic vibrations bycompressive air waves against said partition and by mechanical meansthrough said sidewalls and bottom into said second compartment to directsuccessive out of phase mechanical shock waves through the liquid insaid second compartment in a plurality of directions includingsubstantial components upwardly from said bottom and inwardly from saidsidewalls toward the center of the radius of curvature thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT W. JENKINS, PrimaryExaminer.

